Pride Month 2025

Each June, Cengage Group employees come together to celebrate Pride Month, a time to honor the LGBTQIA+ community, reflect on the progress made and recommit to fostering a workplace where everyone feels seen, heard and valued.

This year’s theme, “Building Community Brick by Brick,” speaks to the power of intentional connection. It’s about creating a strong, inclusive foundation where every individual contributes to a culture of belonging. At Cengage Group, our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are a cornerstone of that foundation.

 

Why ERGs Matter

“Our Employee Resource Groups play a critical role in hosting programming and activities that foster belonging. They are open to all employees and provide opportunities for personal connection and affiliation, promoting openness, understanding, acceptance and inclusiveness.”

— Kim Russel, SVP, Research, User Experience and Design Sponsor of the Pride ERG

“ERGs like Pride are essential to our culture. They create space for education, allyship and celebration. Through events and resources, they help us learn from one another and support our colleagues.”

— Morgan Wolbe, Executive Vice President, Global Operations and Chief Transformation Officer, and Sponsor for the Pride ERG

 

Pride ERG Member Spotlights

We’re proud to feature members of our Pride ERG, Steve Gambino, Liz Duhaime and Linda Watson, who share what this community means to them. Their stories reflect the strength, resilience and joy that come from being part of something bigger than themselves.

Steve sees this year’s theme as a metaphor for the slow, intentional work of building something meaningful. “Each person is a brick—unique, essential—and the mortar that binds us is made of patience, listening, empathy and truth,” he says. “With care, what we create is more than structure—it’s shelter. A place of strength, safety and hope. A home we build together, one connection at a time.”

He expresses his Pride through deep, intentional listening. “For me, it’s in those quiet, attentive moments that genuine connection between people truly happens. We all long to be heard—not just for what we say, but for who we truly are. Listening in this way is more than a skill; it’s a presence, a posture of respect. It honors the dignity that lives in each of us, even when the world forgets to notice.” For Steve, Pride is about celebrating the uniqueness of every human being and creating space for authenticity.

Steve’s Pride anthem is “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper. He shared that this song is “a gentle reminder of the beauty that shines through when we let our true selves be seen. In a world that doesn’t always make space for that, Pride means choosing to see—and celebrate—the true colors in everyone.”

For Liz, this year’s theme evokes the image of community care—brick by brick, sealed with intention and protection. “At a time in history when our community doesn’t feel the most secure, we are continuing to build and grow and persevere,” she shares.

Liz expresses her Pride by living authentically and unapologetically. Whether it’s loving openly or refusing to shrink herself in the face of power, she embraces her identity with courage and joy.

For those considering ERG membership, Liz says, “do it.” She found deep fulfillment in becoming active in our Pride and Women in Tech ERGs after years of quiet membership. “It really takes the edge off of work when we’re dealing with changes and challenges to have people in your corner.”

Her Pride anthem? “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan—a song that lifts her up when she’s feeling small or alone.

Linda interprets this year’s theme as a call to work together with love, acceptance and kindness. For her, community is built through shared joy and intentional acts of care.

She expresses her Pride through creativity and celebration. At her home, she and her husband decorate a pergola above their horse pasture with seasonal themes. From Mardi Gras to a “Beach Bingo Pride Tiki Room,” their displays are a vibrant expression of joy and inclusion.

Her advice to new ERG members is simple: “Have fun with it and participate frequently.” For Linda, engagement is about showing up with heart and embracing the spirit of community.

Her Pride anthem is “We Are the Champions”—a timeless celebration of resilience and triumph.

 

What’s Happening This Pride Month

The Pride ERG co-leads—Anne Alexander, Lori Hardee and Terry Raper—have curated an existing lineup of events and resources to celebrate and uplift the Cengage Group community throughout June. Here’s what’s in store:

Live Events:

• Global Rights Awareness Presentation – A powerful session exploring the state of LGBTQIA+ rights around the world.
• Tabletop Gaming Inclusivity Panel – In partnership with Mosaic ERG, this panel dives into creating inclusive tabletop groups, with actionable advice and useful resources provided by our speakers.
• Craft Session – A creative, hands-on event where employees will have the opportunity to paint, draw or craft a version of one of Keith Haring's works.
• Lip Sync Battle – This high-energy event allows employees to step into the spotlight and bring their creativity and charisma to the virtual stage!

Asynchronous Resources:

In addition to the live events, the Pride ERG is offering asynchronous resources to engage and educate employees throughout the month. Pride ERG members—and, where internal representation is missing, notable LGBTQIA+ public figures—will be spotlighted on Slack, with the goal of representing every letter of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.

 

Learn More:

As we celebrate Pride Month, we honor the strength, resilience and joy of the LGBTQIA+ community—within Cengage Group and beyond. If you’d like to learn more about how we’ve celebrated Pride over the years, we invite you to explore our Pride Month blogs from 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Each year reflects our ongoing commitment to inclusion and belonging.

Happy Pride!